For the 2nd year, at the Wyndham Airport Hotel, Yale & Gibson SE

B37 Convention Stats:

  • Attendance: 504 approximately (417 paid memberships).
  • Charity/Non-Profit Donations ($505 total): Bubonicon 37 donated $120 to the Williamson Library Collection at Eastern NM University, $180 to the American Red Cross, $60 to the local Roadrunner Food Bank, and $145 to the Andrew Fox Katrina Relief Fund. The Charity Auction on Friday evening raised $466 for these organizations, and the rest came from convention proceeds.

B37 Art Show Stats & Awards:

We had sales of more than $4,475 and showed the works of 35 artists. Commissions earned $673 for Bubonicon. Many artists such as David Martin, Harry O. Morris and Mark Ferrari were on hand throughout the weekend. A glass case for jewelry still is being worked on, while there probably still will be yet a few more clarifications on the rules and forms in the next year.

  • Best of Show - Amateur: Marsha Jordan.
  • Best of Show - Professional: Ruth Thompson.
  • Best of Show - Student: Nickolas Woll.

B37 Costume Contest:

  • Best in Show: Charles & Tauni Orndorff as “Predators.â€
  • Best Workmanship: Jennifer Senn as “Loseefalme Melinair.â€
  • Best Use of Personal Assets: Mark Walton as a “Jawa.â€
  • Animal Magnetism: Danielle Rhodes as “Slave Leia.â€
  • Judges’ Choice Award: Scott Denning as “$50 Garage Sale Robot.â€
  • Media Recreation: Colleen & Tea Turner as “Boba & ‘Mini’ Fett.â€
  • Best Kids Costumes: Alexandra, Callista & Nicolas Dealey, and Nathan Huffaker as “Harry Potter, the Pink Paleontologist,†and 2 “Pirates.â€
  • Perry Prizes (Honorable Mentions): Glenda Johnson as “Death,†Kevin Zander as “The Grimm Shepherd†and Diane Gray as “Dragon Trainer.â€

B37 Programming Notes:

The Saturday Late Night Dance was revived, with Dante Stewart hosting until 3:00 am. Robert Vardeman hosted a 60-minute Writing Seminar which 25-30 people attended. Lobo Anime & Comics sponsored the Anime Room for the 5th year in a row, while SWFT hosted the Media Room for the 2nd year. A 3rd Track of Programming was necessary Saturday afternoon for two talks, a seminar and the film panel, taking place in the Media Room. The Reading Room was moved downstairs, where it encountered some noise issues. Scott Phillips’ EDP screening of Scream, Science Bastard, Scream and other shorts drew 60-80 people late Saturday night (in a freezing room). The Dead Dog was held in the con suite Sunday evening, hosted by Rose Beetem of Denver. According to notes in the Comment Box, the most popular program items were the Alien Archaeology panel, Vardeman interviewing Guest of Honor Stephen R. Donaldson, and Mark Ferrari’s slide show. The General Auction on Sunday had total sales of $913, with $609 of that going to Bubonicon (FROOMB only went for $20 for those keeping score). Participants: Nancy Holder, Doug Beason and SM Stirling had to cancel appearances at Bubonicon 37 - while Ben Bova made his first Albuquerque appearance. Back after absences were Suzy M. Charnas, Steven Gould and Laura J. Mixon.

B37 Green Slime Awards:

  • Novel: (TIE) Incubus Dreams (Anita Blake) by Laurel K. Hamilton (“pointless soft-core eroticaâ€); and The Iron Tree: Crowthistle Chronicles, Book 1 by Cecilia Dart-Thorton (“has groan out-loud potentialâ€).
  • Publishing: Medallion Press for printing Charles W. Sasser’s Dark Planet (rips off John Ringo).
  • Film: Stealth (“a quantum messâ€).
  • TV Show: Earthsea miniseries, Sci Fi Channel (“shamelessly sponging off LeGuin’s popularityâ€).
  • Direct-to-Video: Unspeakable (shot in northern NM).
  • Science: The return of Evolution vs “Intelligent Design,†even in Rio Rancho, NM.
  • Merchandise: (TIE) George “The Animal†Steele action figure for his “pocket-fluff†torso hair attached with shiny, slimy glue; and the Mr. Fantastic Extendable Arms which can be used as grope aids (for pinching bums anonymously in a crowd).

B37 Guest Comments:

“I enjoyed Bubonicon. It is, above all, a friendly con. That’s a real plus for people like me who tend to hide in our shells. Thanks for inviting me!â€
-Stephen R. Donaldson, Guest of Honor

“Thanks for a superb weekend. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a con as much. Yeah, you guys know how to run cons.â€
-Jack McDevitt, Toastmaster

“An enjoyable convention. Barbara and I had a very fine weekend. Looking forward to Bubonicon 38.â€
-Dr. Ben Bova, author